Can you get pregnant before puberty?

You can't get pregnant before puberty, no. Pregnancy requires ovulation, which is when an egg is released from the ovaries. That doesn't start happening until puberty begins.

However, there's an important detail here: your first period isn't actually the first time you ovulate. You ovulate before your first period, usually about two weeks before. That means it is technically possible to get pregnant just before your first period arrives, without ever having had a period yet. This catches some people off guard because they assume they can't get pregnant until they've started their periods.

So the short answer is: before puberty, no. But once puberty is underway, pregnancy becomes possible even before your first period.

If you're sexually active or thinking about it, and you haven't had your first period yet but you've noticed other signs of puberty (like breast development, discharge, or hair growth), it's worth knowing that your body might already be able to get pregnant.

You cannot get pregnant before puberty starts. Pregnancy needs an egg, and your body does not release eggs until puberty begins.

But there is an important detail. Your body releases its first egg about two weeks before your first period. That means you could get pregnant just before your first period arrives, without ever having had one.

So before puberty, no. But once puberty is underway, pregnancy becomes possible even before your first period.

If your body is showing signs of puberty like breast growth or body hair, it may already be able to get pregnant.